What else to do in Kota kinabalu rather than go sightseeing on the top attractions such as the Mt. Kinabalu and the Poring hotspring? I was so excited to climb mt.kinabalu (fo sho) but since we didn’t have any mountaineering experience, we decided to just enjoy the scenery of this majestic mountain and its surrounding area.

On our way to Mt. Kinabalu and we stopped by Pekan Nabalu Area to catch a glimpse of the HUGE mountain..we never expected that the area was so COLD (do notice my arms are tucked in!). This is the best place to take a picture of Mt. Kinabalu. You can also stop by the souvenir shops on the area if you want to buy stuff, eat or use the restroom since it was about a 2 hour drive to this place from KK.

Finally reached Kota kinabalu national park headquarters, you can either stop over and climb the mountain by getting a guide or you can just drop by to trek and watch the flora and fauna of this place. Take note that you should wear something that can make you warm since the place is also really COOLD. We just dropped by to pay for park fees so that we won’t pay for fees when we reach poring hot spring and other areas protected by the park. The air is really really fresh and the place is so quiet where you can even hear the sounds of different birds.

After a couple of minutes at the Park HQ, we head down to the road and pass along Kundasang Market to buy snacks and local delicacy. This is the best place to go buy GUARANTEED FRESH veggies in Sabah since all people get their supplies here and sell it at a higher rate in the city area. This is indeed a vegan heaven.

About an hour drive we head down to one of Ranau centre to eat lunch. We ate malay food Buffet style! It usualy cost around RM1 per food so you can serve all you want and eat what you want!

After taking lunch we head directly to Poring hot spring area which is about 30 minutes away.

After hours and hours of Driving, we have finally arrived at the Poring hot spring area. I wasn’t that excited about the hot spring honestly but my adrenaline was pumping up since I was stocked to go trekking and do the famous Canopy walk.

Poring Hot Spring is a really huge area, there’s a lot to do here if you have ample time. Since our friends are already going early to catch their flight back to manila, we decided to only check the canopy walk and do trekking. I advise that you use insect repellants and use shoes for this place. Unfortunately I’m an adventurer so I go walking using slippers thou the place was muddy. It was really exhausting to go to the canopy walk since you have to walk about 15 minutes or depends on how you walk uphill to reach the place (exactly 500 meters to the top). Once you arrive in the area you’ll be amazed about the view and sounds of mother nature. Canopy Walks are not for the weak of heart I tell you, the walkway is so scary for others but quite fun since it was a bit shaky (but 100% safe).

Trekking and nature tripping was really fun at this place, we had to refresh our foots by relaxing on the hotspring and our friends onyl decided to take a bath since we were all sweating! It was a really good day to enjoy mother earth and appreciate how beautiful it is to PRESERVE and RESPECT our environment to be used by our children and children’s children.

If you enjoyed reading this post, go checkout our other adventures by clicking on Blog.

SHARE
cooltravelblog
TeamCool is Mikhail Van Spencer aka “spencer cool” is an Online Marketing Manager based in Phuket, Thailand. Loves to travel, Likes to dress good, Down to earth, Adrenaline Junkie, “photographer”, “videographer” and a loving husband. A team wouldn’t be complete without a partner, Noreen Sheridan is a licensed nurse, a great medical sales representative, marketing person, GREAT COOK (she does really cook good food), likes fashion in general, beautiful inside out and a loving and understanding wife.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

103 COMMENTS

    • Haven’t gone to the bat cave since it is really FAR. we were out of time since my friends were going to leave late afternoon so we did make use of the time…THe walkway was indeed scary the most part since there are tendencies it would shake or bend when two or more people will go use it at the same time. Had a blast scaring my girlfriend and friend by moving alot. 🙂

  3. Nice!! I’ve climbed to the top of Mt kinabalu back in 2003 n haf yet to post. But didnt know that there’s a hot spring!! Cool! I really wanna go back coz the view frm the top of mountain is superb! U cud haf climb till the summit though.. It wont need much experience only if u decide to go further to the last quarter. But ya its gonna be VERY cold. But hey! Love ya post! Thanks for sharing!

    • Thanks for liking it! yeah, heard that it is really awesome to be at the top of the mountain..ill be going back soon to climb Mt.Kinabalu and bring some climbing gears. I’ve heard your going to walk about 6 hours towards the middle and rest overnight and walk another 4-5 hour till the peak on the next day (therefore I didn’t proceed with climbing too.) There is a place called poring hot spring, you have to drive about an hour and a half towards Ranau..the place is great to visit if your feet is really tired of the climb/treks…

      • No worries! Love to see more of your trips! Btw yup you would need to rest overnight n usually would start trekking to the peak in the wee hours at about 1 or 2am so that you can reach the top before sunrise to admire the view n take pics which thereafter would need to climb back down once sunrise up… It would be very step where ropes are used n most of the time might be slippery. Due to rain or dew. But thats the whole fun of it! Do get yourself ready by exercising through climbing of stairs more than 20 times n any other workouts. Will help to prepare u. Shall wait for your update then! Goodluck!
        Cheers!

    • This blog post from Sabah brings back happy memories from my own visit to Borneo six years ago. I climbed Mt. Kinabalu myself in 2005, and although reaching the summit takes lots of stamina and willpower, no mountaineering or climbing experience is needed. It was truly a wonderful experience and, I blogged about it here: https://sungame.wordpress.com/gloria-mundi/on-top-of-borneo/.
      I haven’t yet found the time nor the money to return to Borneo, but this blog post and photos sort of takes me back there. Thanks a lot for that!

  4. You should go to just outside Sandakan to Uncle Tans 3days/2nights jungle trek it is amazing!! Also Mantanani island is beautiful but only two companies go there, but they take you from KK. I was in Sabah for 6 weeks xxx

  6. Well, it’s too bad that it was so cold there, but it looks like you had a fantastic time!

    That bridge looks terrifying but SO worth the walk over it, I’m sure!

    Also, at that sign, I would have screamed out “To the Bat Cave” too… 😉

  10. Great pictures – that walkway looks scary but awesome at the same time! Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on being freshly pressed!

  12. These photos were taken in Malaysia, right? It looks a lot (surprisingly, since they’re not next to each other!) like Central America, except those bath houses. I always find bath houses to be interesting–and, well, kind of disgusting, lol. But those don’t appear to be actual bathing pools, just swimming pools 🙂 Nice photos!

    • yeah, thou at first the hot springs may be gross to look at but I guess it’s the normal color of the water (sulphur i guess that gives it a yellowish thing)..I agree with you that it is kinda similar to central america. 🙂

  16. We visited Sabah last Christmas and New Year period and because we didn’t want to climb the mountain we didn’t visit the area. It didn’t really occur to me that we could visit the area and not go up the mountain! Silly me. Instead we chose to spend an extra few days in KK (we already had been to Sandakan and Sukau) Your photos are great. It’s interesting that it can be cold in Sabah. Hard to imagine. Our friend (more fit than me) climbed the mountain and loved it. I really miss the cheap and delicious food in Sabah.

  20. Beautiful photos. I especially love the orchid and the walkway (captured a nice perspective). I can’t get over the fresh market. The veggies look so crisp and vibrant. I’d love to have a market like that around here. Sabah looks like a great place to visit. Thanks for sharing!

  22. Thank you for sharing these photos. Once, my husband, daughter and I visited Malaysia and one of the highlights for me was braving a tight rope walk high up in the middle of lush green vegetation…….My husband and I also braved a boat ride(with a guide) but when the waters got rough, I shrieked…The guide got the message and turned back……..I love the photo of the lizard.

  23. Cool post. We went to Sabah, but didn’t get to make it to Mt. Kinabalu. We had a great time in Danum Valley and Kapalai (near Sipadan Island). If you liked the cave, you should check out Mulu National Park, someday. We’ll have to check out Mt. K someday. Those canopy walks give me the hee bee jee bees though.

    • Thanks! yeah, I guess that area is across kota kinabalu city…I would like to visit that place thou so that I can go to sipadan island for snorkeling or even diving….you should try the canopy walk..it’s not that scary (just don’t look down lol).

  24. you know, this post couldn’t come in a worst moment for me. I studied in M’sia for 3.5 years, last time I was there for a visit in 2006 and I was planning to travel there for 5 weeks now in Dec (in fact my flight was scheduled for tomorrow!) … but then came from my boss a ‘kind request’ if I can cancel it all and stay here for a project 🙁 which I agreed to- needless to say how disappointed I still am ! but still able to enjoy your pics
    (my favorite one is with malay lunch 😉 )

  25. Wow! I’m glad that bridge has a net around it! Such neat photos, and I really love your note at the end about preserving nature (however oxymoronic that may sound) for future generations.

  28. Your photos are lovely, you have a good eye. Looks like a gorgeous place. I must say, I’m not familiar with Sabah at all so must look into it.

  30. My mouth watered at the site of all those fruits and veggies!
    Was that crystalized ginger I saw in one of those bags! and
    Mushrooms! My brother recently showed me how to fry them
    with Chipolte peppers and olive oil, we made a sandwich with
    arugola and brushetta! 😀

  31. I so wanna go there. Thanks for this post. This made me want it more. Nice pictures as well. 🙂 Be reading more of your blog.

  42. We visited Sabah last Christmas and New Year period and because we didn’t want to climb the mountain we didn’t visit the area. It didn’t really occur to me that we could visit the area and not go up the mountain! Silly me.
    ____________
    Kelvin

  50. Hi! I’m from next door – in the state of Sarawak. You certainly look like you had a wonderful time. Yes, Sabah is a beautiful place and there are lots to do. I’ve been to Mount Kinabalu but only up to the foothills…and to the Poring hotsprings…but chickened out from the canopy walk – no, thank you. You did not go snorkelling around the nearby islands?

    Great post! Great photographs! Two thumbs up!

  52. such wonderful photos! I climbed kinabalu a few months ago and it was awesome though the weather was fierce. so few people made it to the top that day as there were very strong winds, no visibility and it was very slippy. but wonderful all the same!

    • I made to the top of Kinabalu in 1998! Not sure I would be up for it now. An amazing experience. We went to the bat caves at dusk, watched the swallows come in to roost and the bats come out for the night. I’ve had a fondness for bats ever since! We walked back through the jungle in the dark, I remember fireflies and luminous fungi. I also remember getting very ill whilst staying in a tribal long house, which was a bit scary; but I was very well looked after.

  54. Nice post and congratulations on being freshly pressed. It’s amazing that you’ve only joined recently and you were featured already. I’m a Filipino as well. :>

  70. I enjoyed reading about your adventure. Thanks for posting those lovely photos.

    A tiny bridge, wild flowers, water flowering over rocks, street vendors, hot springs, the natural scenery…you’ve captured it all.

  73. The background on the second picture were your girlfriend is, is amazing!

    Weeee I want those mushrooms nomnomnom XD

    Lols at Bat Cave :p

    Hot Springs are awesome! Hot showers are relaxing what more compared to springs? XD

  79. I really love to visit Kota Kinabalu just to take a glimpse to Mt. Kinabalu. The first picture on this post with the huge mountain in the background is really gorgeous!

    Climbing Mt. Kinabalu is in my wishlist, I want to do it before I die.. Awesome trip!

    http://trekkertrail.blogspot.com/

Comments are closed.